


Earth-66: Home of the Great Ones

by FictionWriterD



Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Horror, Inspired by Bloodborne, lovecraft, supernaturalhorror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2020-05-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:55:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24057853
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionWriterD/pseuds/FictionWriterD
Summary: Adam, Eve, and Bram visit an alternate Earth in search of someone important, and quickly realize the hell they have found themselves in is unlike anything they have ever seen before. That, and the only normal person they meet is equally as unnerving as the world he lives in. In a demented way.





	Earth-66: Home of the Great Ones

"Where is the Paragon of this earth supposed to be?"

Eve asked this aloud while Adam paced back and forth in front of an old dilapidated apartment complex. Her tone was one of peskiness, she was not in a good mood. The earth they were on was dark and rather depressing. Not a good combination in her case. She was more of a bright and cheery kind of person.

Bram and Adam were waiting for something to happen, Adam with his nose in his World Tome and Bram impatient as usual.

"The Paragon is nearby...but to avoid searching for too long I am trying to come up with a way to be led right to it instead of fidgeting with potentials only to be disappointed..." explained Adam as he flipped through pages.

His concentration was broken by rapid fire gunshots coming from inside the building behind them, as well as men shouting all sorts of words that echoed through the neighborhood. Flashes of light came from the windows and the shouting continued.

Bram seemed excited, "Such a light show, wonder who's winning."

As barbaric as the clash inside another sound of vicious animal growling was heard. A man tried to flee through the window, dressed in all black combat gear that was beyond torn up, only to be violently pulled back through. A bloodcurdling shriek soon after signaled his demise. Eve's stomach turned inside out.

"Not that guy, that's for sure," said Adam in response to Bram's words.

Silence followed. No gunshots, no screaming. Just footsteps leading to the doorway at the base of the building. The door fell off the hinges and crashed on the stairs with a bang. The three Observers watched with stunned silence as a large black dog came out onto the street, its mouth covered in the gore of a recent victim. However, it was the fact that it had six eyes that got everyone's attention.

The animal of otherworldly appearances saw the trio and growled loudly, hunching its legs like it was going to strike.

"Down Shuck," said a voice. The owner of said voice came out of the same building the dog had come from. The man wore a black and dark green leather jacket and black denim pants. Holsters for knives were attached to his thighs and his belt. As for the ones in his hands the blade was about a foot long, one of which appeared to be a bayonet from a World War 1 era rifle. The other blade he held was just as long but had a curved serrated edge, with the name Synthia etched into the side of the blade. The man looked at the trio his dog was growling at, looking each of them over and what caught Eve's attention was his smile. It was like it was humorous to see them. "How can I help you?"

'British, obviously,' thought Eve. Still, with his ebony hair in a mullet, she wasn't impressed with him. That and if what she suspected was true then he had just finished murdering a group of men. Clearing her throat she tried to speak but Adam cut her off before she could speak.

"We're looking for someone...but..." he looked up at the window that man had tried to escape from. Blood flowed from the edge and down the side of the building. "Seems you were busy."

The Brit casually shrugged his shoulders, like it was no big deal. "Just another night in the life of me." He turned to Eve, eyeing her with obvious interest. "Never a dull moment."

Any other man and Eve would have rolled her eyes, but she found herself unable to look away as much as she should be disgusted. What was it about this man that had her attention? "And who might you be, sir?"

The man put his two blades away, both on his hips in their holsters. "Creed. Jericho Creed."

"And what did those guys do to you to die like that, Mr. Creed?"

"Long story, but the gist of it is they want me dead and I sure as hell don't want to die," said Jericho as he started to walk away from the building. The three followed.

Eve followed the closest, walking with him almost shoulder to shoulder, "This isn't the first time it has happened?"

Jericho shook his head, "Nope, been happening for a long while. More than once a week, and I don't get holidays off. Today there were five of them."

The fact that he chuckled at his own joke made Eve tremble. How could someone be so casual about killing others?

The big dog named Shuck led the way down the street, seemingly avoiding the light from the street lamps as it did.

"So who do you happen to be looking for?" asked Jericho as he went into a nearby alley.

Normally this is where Adam would jump in and casually explain in the simplest of laymen terms that the three needed a person known as the Paragon. A bringer of light and virtue to battle a power that could potentially end reality as they knew it. However, Eve knew the script too well and jumped in before that speech could be brought to bear.

"Someone other than a murderer. Let's go," she turned back to the street. She was stopped when Bram grabbed her by the arm.

"Ouch, talk about a cold shoulder," joked Jericho. He sat down on a metal trashcan.

Adam spoke, "There is a crisis brewing and while trying to explain it would take time we do not have, we need the help of someone named the Paragon. This person is someone who can be of great help to us and our cause."

Jericho had listened to this and while he was beyond of sound mind, he understood they were looking for someone better than he could offer in himself. "According to the dictionary a paragon is someone who is the champion of a characteristic such as courage and heart..." He pulled out a knife from his left thigh holster. The blade was six inches long and had the name Ana etched into it. "Not sure if I qualify for such a title." He didn't sound disappointed.

Eve looked up into the sky, the clouds black and grey and no source of light could pierce it. Such a depressing scene on such a depressing world.

"The world hasn't seen the sun in a very long time," said Jericho as he peered up at the sky. "Such is the case when the world welcomes a cult with open arms."

Adam continued to look in his Tome. That left Bram to ask the obvious. "A cult? Which one?"

Jericho gave the muscled man a look of disbelief, as if asking 'are you kidding me?' Yet he answered anyway. "Legion. Their origin is unknown but the followers of such a cult go back to the time of Jesus. Their idea is the world must know true darkness and despair before the light may shine upon it again."

"'Desperationem inducit perpetuam lucem...everlasting despair leads to the light.'" Adam's words rang clear truth and though he kept it to himself Jericho applauded him.

Jericho pointed up at the cloud covered sky. "Thus...they did that. And the world has been in a shit hole ever since. Governments fell apart, and most semblances of society reverted back to the Dark Ages. Hard to find a lot of reason to live in such times."

Eve noted the despair in the air, and yet the fact that Jericho smiled continued to disturb her. "Yet you seem to be having fun killing people."

Standing up Jericho shrugged his shoulders again. "I wasn't kidding when I said Dark Ages love. You literally have to kill to survive."

A small ringing was heard then, echoing through the darkness. Soft and yet could have been lively hard the indiscernible chanting not give it an eerie vibe. Footsteps went along the road and the street lights flickered before finally going out, leaving the group in true darkness.

"Ah shit, here they come," said Jericho , and his dog Shuck growled loudly as a group of men clad in black and gray robes adorned with the symbol of the eight pointed Star and a pentagram with snakes. The symbols of Legion.

The three world travelers watched as the men led a procession around the corner, praying and chanting in Latin. Praying their undying devotion to the Great One.

Adam closed his book, "Who are they, Jericho?"

The Brit pulled out two long knives and seemed ready for combat. "Legionnaires, devout followers of Legion. They roam the cities and towns, converting anyone they find into fellow devotees of their god, through force more often than not."

The men, faces hidden in their hoods, stopped chanting when they noticed the group before them. Without hesitation they all drew swords and daggers, and one even planned to use the torch he carried as a weapon.

"No introductions..." said Bram, and he raised his fists. He was ready for a fight, as usual.

Jericho stepped forward, pulling out two new daggers, bringing the total number he had on his person to at least four. "Take off for down the street!"

Bram didn't move, "Sorry Brit but I like to get my hands dirty."

There was a fight beginning to form and Bram was never one to run from one.

Yet there was something in the air that made Adam speak cautiously, "I think we should listen to Mr. Creed, Bram. He knows what he is dealing with."

Eve had already started to move down the street, and she wasn't alone. The six eyed dog that accompanied Jericho was leading her. 'Must follow this strange creature then...'

Adam had convinced Bram to follow, especially after Jericho had pushed the big man back. That put emphasis on the urgency of the situation and it was hard to argue over it.

The group ran as fast as they could down the street to a ruined building that used to be a church but now the roof was caved in and the steeple was burned to cinders. Eve was the first to get inside and the others followed close behind. Jericho closed the door and locked it. There was no sign of the Legionnaires.

"Okay that solved that problem for the time being," said Jericho while holding his daggers firmly. He sounded confident. Though Legionnaires were known to vigorously chase after nonbelievers they wouldn't be giving up anytime soon, they could be slowed down until they were dealt with. Luckily there wasn't going to be any need to physically deal with them at the moment. "There's a passage behind the altar, leads to the sewers. We can escape through there."

As they hurried along the center aisle, Eve caught glimpses of human skeletons in various positions along the way. Bare bones as if bleached and been dead for a very long time. "What happened here Jericho?"

"Ask questions later, love," was his reply.

The entrance to the passage was in the confessional behind the altar. Jericho led them to the corridor that would be a safe haven from the followers of Legion.

Typical of a sewer it was damp, decrepit, and it smelled. Lack of running water made the stench even worse. Still, they had lost their pursuers and that is all that mattered.

Now that the feeling of dread had receded Eve now pushed for what she wanted to know. "So Mr. Creed, about earlier-"

"You're not from around here, that much I understand, yet it's amazing that you don't know about the most basic of basics," said the Brit coming to a stop next to an over turned oil barrel. He sat down on it while Shuck walked past him to scope out the corridor. The dog's vision was excellent even in the darkest of dark places. "This country is ruled by the Great One Legion and those who serve him. The world went to hell in a hand basket years ago and those who are not enthralled by the Great Ones struggle to survive and live with their sanity intact."

Eve sighed, "I was hoping for a more detailed explanation."

Jericho's eyes bore holes in hers, "I grew up in a secluded place before this happened. My knowledge leaves much to be desired."

Eve liked his honesty, and that was the only thing she liked about him at the moment. "So what you've been scavenging like a dog since then?"

Standing up the Brit walked up to the woman. She stood her ground but he wasn't in a threatening posture. She had expected him to be offended but instead she got a tense response. "You do what you have to do to survive. Anything to live."

His words rang of experience, like he had seen the worst and lived to tell about it. Eve wouldn't know the half of it, being an Observer she had never had to worry about survival until now when dealing with the crisis at home.

"I'm sorry-"

Her apology was cut short with Shuck's growl further down the hall. Jericho looked down to see what the commotion was. He saw three human shaped shadows creeping towards the corner. Turning back to the three Jericho motioned them to be silent and pointed to the shadows near a stone column. While they did move without fuss he remained standing in place. Daggers drawn, while Shuck moved off to the side out of sight. He was waiting to ambush them. He only had to wait for Jericho to give the word.

Within seconds the trio of robed men, the same ones from before no doubt, turned the corner and the moment they saw Jericho they ran right at him weapons drawn. They didn't get far as Shuck lunged at the third man that passed him. He climbed on the back and his powerful jaws clamped down on the area between the man's shoulder and neck. The collarbone was crushed immediately and blood gushed out from the wound. Yet as painful as it was the man merely grunted while trying to shake the massive canine off his back. The other two weren't given much time to help. Jericho pounced quickly. He threw one of his daggers and it got the second man right in the chest in the area of the heart. He went down instantly. The only one left dropped his torch when he saw Jericho run at him. Given the quickness of the ambush and how dark it was even with a torch lighting the area the Brit had the immediate upper hand. He drove his second blade into the gut of the final man, with pinpoint precision to kill him as quickly as possible. The man was dead without as much as a whimper.

Jericho let the dead man fall to the floor, his dagger still imbedded in his gut. Though his breathing heavily he seemed pleased by how quickly it went down. He looked over at his mutt. Shuck had pretty much torn the man's throat out and crushed his vertebrae and was no lying in a pool of his own blood. Still the dog kept tearing at the recently dead corpse, as if to make sure it was lifeless.

"Good dog," said the owner, proud of another threat quelled.

The three Observers came from out of the shadows. While Adam and Bram had expressions of disinterest or impressed Eve had an obvious glare of disgust.

"You killed them."

Jericho sighed, somehow not surprised with the woman. "Like I said, kill or be killed."

"I suppose this world works on that law of nature," said Adam in a low tone.

Though Eve wanted to speak more, the idea of more enemies wandering in on them did not escape her thoughts. "We should go before we fight any more."

The Brit pointed to Shuck, who was finished with his chomping of the corpse and went on down the corridor. He knew where to go, and thus the others followed.

The old sewer system took them from the heart of the city to the outskirts. Old corridors from the 1800s were still in use as storage and through all his adventures into the city Jericho had become familiar with them even with Shuck around to makes sure he didn't get lost. They finally got out of the sewers in a field outside the city through a large water pipe under a bridge.

Following Shuck Eve stepped out of the pipe and onto the small stream, taking in all the fresh air her lungs could take before exhaling. "Glad to be out of that messy environment."

Bram and Adam came out next followed by Jericho. Though they were happy to be out of the sewers they weren't so expressive about it.

Going to a nearby road Eve looked back at the city they had just come from and her jaw dropped. "By the Creator..."

The sky above the city was covered in menacing black clouds shrouding a magenta colored light. What matter of hell created this?

"Legion resides in the clouds, or so its followers claim," said Jericho as he walked onto the road.

"Legion...the one who is many?" asked Eve.

"That's right, though he is worse than any demon a preacher could conjure up on a Sunday sermon. The city there used to be called London before the Rising of the Great Ones twenty years ago, now it's simply referred to as Legion's Lair. No one save for his followers live there anymore."

"So then what were you doing there if you aren't one of his thralls?"

Shrugging his shoulders like it wasn't a big deal Jericho replied, "I was bored."

Further appalled Eve rolled her eyes, "You were so bored that you went into a city of demons just to satiate yourself?"

"You need to entertain yourself somehow, and I am no different, though my tastes are certainly unique."

"You're such a fool," said the woman before turning away. She failed to hear Jericho chuckle, pleased more with himself than he rightfully should have been.


End file.
